You came up with a bunch of ideas during the brainstorming
process, and now you have a few strong potential essay topics. It’s
time to narrow down your list. Get rid of topics that are too vague
(I’m responsible) or too narrow (I’ve only
been late for school three times in four years). Get rid of
topics that are too controversial (Why Republicans/Democrats
are ruining America) or too risqué (Why getting
high can be exciting). Save the topics that are interesting
and specific (My summer job researching giant turtles in
the South Pacific). Keep narrowing down until you’re left
with a topic that will reveal something about you that you can write
about in detail, and that, most important, you’ll actually enjoy
tackling.

A word of warning: You will probably have
many false starts. That’s okay! If you’ve given an idea a fair shot
and it’s just not working out, try one of the other ideas you came
up with during brainstorming. Remember, the admissions committee
isn’t going to see that overflowing trash can full of drafts and
missteps. They’re just going to see the finished product.

The Challenge Question Trap

If you’re faced with an essay question about a challenge
you’ve overcome, you might worry and think to yourself, “I live
in a nice house, my parents are nice to me, my grandparents are
healthy, and my dog is alive. What do I know about
challenges?” Even if your life hasn’t been that hard, you have surely
faced difficulties of some kind—for example, striving for something
and failing, or trying to do the right thing even if it’s unpopular.
Your challenge may have been getting along with a sibling, developing
character, or balancing studies with activities.

All you can do is rely on your own life experiences for
material. Admissions officers will be perfectly happy to read an
interesting, strong essay about a less-than-tragic challenge. So
you don’t need to panic if your brainstorming didn’t yield any truly
insurmountable challenges—just work with what you have. Colleges
understand that you are only 17 years old and that you may not have had
the opportunity to travel abroad or leave your hometown. Ultimately,
what they care about is good writing. If you write a good essay,
what you have will be enough.

The Cliché Trap

Admissions officers have to do a lot of reading. Entertain
them with vivid, clear writing and original ideas, and you’ll win
their hearts. Bore them with yet another essay about how an Outward Bound
trip allowed your inner strength to blossom, and in their minds
you’ll merge with all the other students who wrote about that topic.
What’s worse, if another applicant writes a Pulitzer Prize–worthy
essay about Outward Bound, yours may pale in comparison.

Admissions officers have read thousands of essays about
the exhilaration of scoring the winning touchdown, the lessons learned
from volunteering in impoverished areas, and the new perspectives
gained from traveling abroad. If you want to write about one of
these topics, leave in a little texture: Admit that things still
aren’t perfect. If your story is about flawlessly perfect behavior
or sober lessons learned, the admissions office will let out a collective
yawn. Being flawed but lovable is more interesting than being a
charitable cheerleader with perfect grades.

In the battle to avoid cliché, use details. To keep your
reader interested, you will need to tell a story filled with interesting
details specific to you. Talk about a specific moment you experienced
and what effect it had on you. Additionally, you want to set the
scene with details that give context. Use descriptive language that
shows your reader what you’re talking about. When picking your topic,
make sure you’re picking one you can write about in great and vivid
detail.

The Lofty Topic Trap

Talking about a national or international issue that you
feel strongly about can showcase your intelligence and insight and
prove that you are thoughtful and knowledgeable. Don’t worry about whether
the entire admissions committee will agree with everything you write.
If you are able to form an argument and support it well, you will
win the respect of the admissions officers even if their opinions
differ from yours.

Many applicants make the mistake of trying to impress
admissions officers by writing about a lofty topic even if they
know next to nothing about that topic. Unless you are truly impassioned
about a major issue, or personally involved in it in some way, your
essay will wind up sounding phony and pious. Essays full of sweeping
generalizations (In my opinion, there is no nobler cause
than fighting to eliminate homelessness) will not endear
you to the admissions officers. A better tactic is to be honest
and write about something you know well. Don’t be afraid to show
the admissions officers your true self. That is, after all, the
point.

The Vagueness Trap

Don’t forget to keep the focus on you. If, for example,
you write about your grandfather, keep in mind that the way you
portray him and the traits you admire in him are a reflection of
your own values.

Your First Year
Believe it or not, your academic success at college will greatly enhance your social life.